http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/East Meets West: Islamic, Judaic and Western Influences in Moroccoennoreply@blogger.com (Fulbright-Hays GPA Morocco)Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:39:48 PDTBlogger http://www.blogger.com123125http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/sub-saharan-migration.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Babak)Sat, 06 Aug 2011 23:30:28 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-8497489261499575656While in Rabat, I met a young Senegalese teen that was selling hand made wooden items on the street near the medina. Having bought a small mask the day before from him, I came back to see if there was another item that I would be interested in buying.I talked with this young man for nearly 30 minutes and learned alot about how he came to be in Mocorro. He said that he was from Senegal, and that 2011-08-06T23:30:28.829-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/art-in-rabat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Art by Indira)Sat, 06 Aug 2011 12:21:08 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-4724251724473144162I am back in Rabat for the second half of Arabic lessons. I had the opportunity to visit  an artist's row next the park which had a rap concert going on.  In speaking with the artists, they informed me that this area was designed only for visual artists. This give artists an opportunity to showcase, sell their paintings and interact with the community. What amazed me was the quality of artwork. 2011-08-06T12:21:08.354-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/impact-of-tourism.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Timson)Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:03:59 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-8090423351218822426Tourism is an important source of income and employment in Morocco, but it comes with a number of challenges. For example:Water is a scarce resource in Morocco, and tourists use a lot of it when they stay in hotels and swim in pools--and especially when they go golfing. A single 18-hole golf course requires 3500 m/day of water, which is 3.5 times as much as the average Moroccan consumes in a 2011-08-04T12:03:59.578-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/phosphates.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Timson)Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:16:13 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-3563894972599928486In Safi, we saw a giant phosphate industrial facility beside the sea. It wasn't lovely, but it interested me because my students have been monitoring phosphate levels since 2003 for the King County Small Lakes Program in Washington state. Agricultural use in fertilizers is the main source of phosphate water pollution, but phosphates are also used in a long list of other products including some 2011-08-04T04:16:13.678-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/water-stories.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Timson)Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:57:36 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-2021308616103032030In my classroom, I use cultural stories about water to establish the importance of learning about water issues. I've developed integrated science/social studies units on water for different parts of the world, most recently the Tigris-Euphrates region in greater Mesopotamia (including parts of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Iran) and the Yellow River watershed in China. I want to do the same 2011-08-02T16:57:36.857-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/runaway-tram-adventure.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Babak)Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:54:26 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-2480089700105689910I enjoy walking through the city of Rabat, and I have had some long distance walks. However, because of time restraints, many times it was necessary just to use a tram. I have had interesting incidents occur either right before I was about to use the tram, or when I was on the tram. Below are just a few of those incidents. I was waiting for the tram near the African Studies Center2011-08-02T01:54:26.968-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/medina-vs-mega-mall.htmlmallrabatcasablancamedinanoreply@blogger.com (goronny)Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:24:45 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-642857093136292774Malls are never fun as they seem. Void of any characters, they are concrete structures with cookie-cutter stores and pretentious sale persons. If you have seen one mall, you have seen them all!!! Same shoe stores, same clothing shops, same food court, and the same consumers trying to fill their emotional void with materialistic and superficial things.During my last weekend in Rabat, Moroccan 2011-08-02T09:24:45.787-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/essaouira-dreams.htmlbeachmorroccomogadoressaouiranoreply@blogger.com (goronny)Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:34:24 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-6174017044875464267Throughout my travels to many countries and hundreds of cities, it is rare that I find a town that I want to settle down at. I have been to many cities in Morocco during this fellowship and none compare to Essaouira, a charming town with unique characteristics located off the coast of north-west Africa. This is the second time I have been here to this coastal town of about 30,000 people. 2011-08-02T01:34:24.578-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/henna.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Timson)Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:11:50 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-8623684959089826420One day we visited a farm near Rabat, and a wedding procession passed by. The wedding tent was across a field fenced by prickly pear, a cactus native to North America which reportedly made its way to Morocco during the sixteenth century. (The fruits of this plant are ripe now and sold from food carts in the medina and buckets beside rural roadways.) A gap in this green fence was closed by a 2011-08-01T06:11:50.358-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/08/donkeys-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Timson)Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:51:32 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-1675571832583427386For another story about the importance of the humble donkey, read the section on the collapse of the sultan's authority in precolonial Morocco, pages 131-133 in the book Morocco: From Empire to Independence, by C.R. Pennell. The author suggests that the most serious rebellion during that time was led by Jilal bin Idris, a former government functionary who was briefly imprisoned for forgery. In2011-08-01T04:51:32.972-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/07/diversity-in-desert.htmlstereotypesdesertdiversitymoroccan peoplenoreply@blogger.com (goronny)Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:13:09 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-759993611902999207As we journeyed through this great land, one of my friends commented that the geography is similar to that of California and that she was amazed by the bio-diversity of this country. This is true of the land and it is also true of its people. I noticed that there is no definite classification of a typical Moroccan, just like Californian. Moroccans comes in different shapes, sizes, and 2011-07-21T00:13:09.177-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/07/bargain-prices.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Babak)Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:52:48 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-6664108027759300137<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 2011-07-19T14:52:48.940-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/07/maize.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Timson)Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:01:03 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-5271478644814124750As in many countries around the world, crops first cultivated by Native Americans are important in the cuisine of Morocco. The Friday meal of couscous usually includes potatoes and squashes, and a Moroccan salad is always made with tomatoes. Sometimes sweet kernels of maize are put in the salad too, or made into a soup.Maize might have come to the Old World with Columbus after his first or 2011-07-18T11:01:03.815-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/07/donkeys-in-morocco.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Timson)Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:47:21 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-6025542105900849208I thought at first that I might write about donkeys in Morocco because I see them everywhere, so I did a little research to deepen my understanding--and I quickly learned that Susan Orlean already wrote that story for Smithsonian Magazine (September 2009). She wrote about donkeys carrying the same loads I've seen on their backs: men, women and children; televisions and mattresses; lumber for 2011-07-16T00:47:21.016-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/07/visiting-volubilis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Art by Indira)Sat, 09 Jul 2011 10:58:30 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-8929751401173041837This week was busy and amazing.  I went to see the Roman ruins in Volubilis. Our tour guide showed us mosaic floor tile that was discovered under all the dirt. They where beautiful, each mosaic had a story to tell and a lesson to learn. I could not believe after centuries most of the tiles still had its color. On this site, Jupiter was the main god worshipped, but there where others as well. I 2011-07-09T10:58:30.498-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/07/writing-arabic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Art by Indira)Sat, 09 Jul 2011 10:32:23 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-4379802017970542355My first week in Rabat was a learning experience. After learning how to say the alphabet correctly, I am learning how to write in Arabic. Writing in Arabic is an art form. My favorite letter to write is the  s . I can not wait to use my calligraphy brush and ink to write the alphabet.2011-07-09T10:32:23.267-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/07/mural-at-national-library-in-rabat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Babak)Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:54:38 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-572853014852780093On the opposite side of the entrance to the National Library in Rabat is a large mural painted on the side of a wall of a large flight of stairs. There were several aspects to this mural that were very interesting for me.First, the mural was very well created. You could tell that it was professionally done by a great artist. Another interesting aspect to the mural is that it included a large 2011-07-19T14:54:38.292-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2011/07/ancient-roman-influence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Babak)Sat, 02 Jul 2011 13:28:08 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-5109994373345539227<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; 2011-07-02T13:28:08.899-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2010/09/police-presence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Eduardo Lopez)Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:51:24 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-984855679460324532Oh these Moroccan days…In my travels throughout Morocco, one of the biggest things that stood out in contrast to the United States was the lack of police presence. I kept count of the amount of times I saw police officers in the five weeks I was in Morocco, and the number did not exceed ten. In stark contrast, on my drive to work in Los Angeles I usually see police officers five or six times a 2011-06-15T14:51:24.387-07:001http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2010/08/same-world.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Eduardo Lopez)Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:55:17 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-633865143829920185 Oh these Moroccan days…Prior to coming to Morocco, I really did not know much about its history. Having been a history major in my undergraduate studies, I learned about the 700 years of Moorish rule in Spain and the role Morocco played during this historical period. Afterwards, the only exposure I got was through films such as Casablanca, The Bourne Ultimatum, and a documentary by Globe 2011-06-15T14:55:17.771-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2010/08/conference-of-birds_17.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Sherri)Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:51:43 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-8738727305513746814I don’t know when the thought first came to me. It was early on in the trip. Maybe it was when the whole bus was filled with raucous conversation and laughter, maybe at a particularly loud and boisterous dinner. We were usually a spectacle wherever we went, always the loudest group. But the thought popped into my mind: we are a “conference of birds.” Now “The Conference of Birds is a 12th 2010-08-17T11:51:43.727-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2010/08/visiting-versus-living.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Luis Humberto Chaidez)Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:56:25 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-4842007569279232794Ok, when it comes to abroad/traveling experiences, one thing you should know about me is that I am a snob. I have been fortunate and blessed enough to have been able to live in West Africa for an extensive amount of time, on top of being exposed to my parent’s childhood experiences in the rural areas of Mexico. My time in Morocco, North Africa has been an incredible experience. Throughout this 2011-06-15T14:56:25.371-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2010/08/merzouga.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kim Jones)Sun, 08 Aug 2010 06:29:36 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-797512460341556609We arrived at Merzouga in very good humor, albeit punchy from hours on the road. The sun was a bit warm, but the day was winding down so we had the good fortune to miss the most intense heat of the day. We rushed to check in so that we could catch the sunset while sitting high in the camel (dromedary - one hump) saddles, in the Sahara desert no less.The Kasbah Tombouctou sports two camels 2010-08-08T06:29:36.789-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2010/08/close-tie-with-paradise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Quiana)Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:06:29 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-7278479123371987317The OasisThe drive from Merzouga to Dades proved to be another treat. Between the Atlas Mountains is Tineghir; a wonderful oasis. It was difficult to fathom miles and miles of lush, green vegetation blossoming right in the middle of what had seemed to be a barren, God-forsaken desert! Our driver stopped the bus along a steep cliff to allow us to take pictures. Wow, how can I describe this paradox2010-08-05T14:06:29.756-07:000http://uclafulbrightmorocco.blogspot.com/2010/08/marrakech.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Quiana)Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:32:21 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6882908155679423622.post-5556602982244316118MarrakechLocated in the southern region of Morocco nestled inland, is the popular city of Marrakech. Marrakech was at one time one of the four capitals of Morocco. The main streets resemble a combination of Phoenix (because of the reddish earth tones of the original structures), Miami (because of the thick, stalky palms that line the streets), and perhaps Vegas (because of the luxurious nightlife2010-08-05T12:32:21.870-07:000